19-year-old on child pornography charges

A 19-year-old man has been remanded to prison on a number of child pornography-related charges under the Cyber Crime Act, police said on Saturday.

The alleged perpetrator, Jeremiah James of ‘D’ Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown was charged with possessing child pornography in a computer system, procuring child pornography for himself and another person, using a computer system to commit child luring and causing a child under 16 years old to watch a sexual act.

The penalties for the child pornography charges are a fine of GY$10 million and five years imprisonment on summary conviction or a GY$15 million fine and 10 years imprisonment on conviction by indictment.

The punishment for child luring is a GY$3 million fine and five years imprisonment or an GY$8 million and five years.

He was also charged with using a computer system to harass, embarrass, coerce, humiliate and intimidate another person for which the penalty, on summary conviction, is a GY$5 million fine and three years imprisonment or GY$10 million and five years imprisonment on conviction on indictment.

Police said he pleaded guilty to child possession and causing a child under 16 years. Mr James, however, pleaded not guilty to child luring and procuring child pornography.

Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse, presiding at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court, remanded the accused to prison until October 16, 2025.

The Guyana Police Force said the man was arrested on September 28 but did not state when the offences were allegedly committed.